Hose clamp

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an improved clamping device for use in connecting generally flexible automobile radiator hoses and the like to pipes in water tight engagement therewith by use of improved tension exerting fastening means maintaining drop tight connections despite softening of the hose material during prolonged use and including a 360* continuous pressure transferring sealing ridge.

United States Patent 1 Nitz [111 3,765,066 [451 Oct. 16,1973

[ HOSE CLAMP [76] Inventor: Albert I-l. Nitz, 9132 W. Bluemound Rd.,Milwaukee, Wis.

[22] Filed: Apr. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,173

[52] U.S. Cl. 24/279, 24/284 [51] Int. Cl B65d 63/02 [58] Field ofSearch 24/279, 280, 284;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,482,374 9/1949 Ruschmeyer24/280 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 744,975 2/1944 Germany 24/2790/1930 Netherlands 24/279 l/19l9 Great Britain 24/279 PrimaryExaminer-Bemard A. Gelak Assistant Examiner-Kenneth J. Dorner 'Attorneywillis B. Swartwout, III

[5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention is an improved clamping device foruse in connecting generally flexible automobile radiator hoses and thelike to pipes in water tight engagernent therewith by use of improvedtension exerting fatfiifig1he5n rna intainingdrop tight connectionsdespite softening of the hose material during prolonged use andincluding a 360 continuous pressure transferring sealing ridge. I

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures HOSE CLAMP Many different types of hoseclamping devices have been used in the past. The positive clamp devicein its best known form has included a screw tightening structure whichengages the clamp member in the manner of a worm gear to draw the bandsnugly about the hose and compress the hose against the pipe or tubesealing the connection therebetween. Such clamps perform satisfactorilyfor a time but as the hose ages, softens and deteriorates the clamp mustbe tightened to continue to function. Vibration and heat expansion ofthe metal clamp also tend to loosen the clamps engagement with the hose.A second type of clamp is made from heavy spring metal and placed aroundthe hose by expanding the spring metal and letting it snap in placearound the hose. Such a clamp is not adjustable and cannot be madesmaller than its inherent limitations except by distorting it therebyruining its clamping ability throughout a 360 circle.

The present invention proposes to overcome the problems of the prior artby providing a clamping device which includes a member forming an arc inexcess of 270 but less than 360. At either end of the arcuate membersand integral therewith tabs extend from said member at angles relativeto a tangent of the are, intersecting the arc of the point thereon wherethe tab and are join such that thetab and tangent form an obtuse angle.The tab angles with the tangents are such that the two tabs are spacedand generally parallel. Each tab is provided with an aperture and theapertures are axially aligned to receive an elongated bolt'therethrough.A helical coil spring. is placed between the bolt head and tab in itsexpanded state and a nut is fitted to the end of the bolt remote fromthe head after the bolt is passed through the tab apertures. The bolthead is slotted to receive the blade of a screwdriver or similar tooland the nut is hexagonal to receive a wrench if required. An arcuateclamp insert is attached to the are on the curved surface thereof justprior to the tab area and extends across the gap in the arc below thespaced parallel tabs and is complementary in cross-sectionalconfiguration to the configuration of the arcuate member to fitcomplementary against the inner surface of the member slidably. Thecrosssectional configuration of the member and insert are such as tocreate a triple seal against the hose surface and pipe or flange towhich it is telescopingly slidably fitted. The bolt is tightened tocreate the desired seal and until the spring is under substantialtension insuring that the seal will be retained even if hose softeningor deterioration takes place and holds the bolt against loosening in theevent of vibration. v It is an object of the present invention toprovide a clamping device for hose-pipe connections or the likeincluding an arcuate member having an arc in excess of 180 and providedwith spaced parallel outwardly extending co-extensive tabs at either endof said are an arcuate insert member coupled adjacent one arcuateextremity to said member and of sufficient extent in degrees to completeat least a 360 circle with the member and pressure exerting meanscoupled with the tabs for drawing the device snugly about a generallyflexible hose in the area of said hose overlapping the telescopinglyinserted pipe to seal the hose against the pipe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clamping devicefor hose-pipe connections having clamp tightening structure fortightening said clamp under tension to-retain the seal formed thereby.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of thecharacter described wherein the clamping device includes two arcuateclamp sections joined together to form at least a 360 are or circlewhich is expandable or contractable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device ofthe character described wherein the arcuate clamp sections are shaped incross-sectional dimension to provide a triple sealing engagement againstthe hose-pipe connection.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention as well asvarious modifications and changes which can be made to the structure ofthe present invention without departing from the spirit thereof willbecome apparent as this description proceeds and such additionalobjects, advangages, modifications and changes are intended to becovered by the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1, is a horizontal plan view of structure including the presentinvention;

FIG. 2, is an enlarged horizontal plan view of the clamp tightening andtension exerting structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken along lineA.-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, is a fragmentary vertical plan view taken along arc A-A' of FIG.1 with the clamp tightening and tension exerting structure of FIG. 2removed; and

FIG. 5, is a transverse cross-sectional view of the structure shown inFIG. 1 taken across the area of FIG. 1 designated.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, a clampstructure is disclosed generally identified by the numeral 10. Structure10 includes-a first are segment 12 and a second arc segment 14. Segmentsl2 and 14 when joinedtogether form at least an arc of 360 or a fullcircle.

Arc segment 12 is provided with at least a pair of arcuately offsetindentations defined by margins 16 and 18 perpendicular to said segment12, on opposite sides thereof in the plane thereof. Arc segment 14 isprovided' with a pair of arcuately spaced generally rectangular tabs 20and 22 perpendicular to segment 14 on opposite sides thereof in theplane thereof. Tabs 20 and 22 are spaced identically to margins 16 and18 so that segments 12 and 14 may be-placed with their radially inwardand outward surfaces respectively flush at the area of margins 16 and 18and tabs 20 and 22 and the tabs 20 and 22 may be bent upwardly throughmargins 16 and I8 and then over segment-l2 to firmly fasten the twosegments together against relative movement at the area of such joining.Other suitable means'of joining segments 12 and 14 could be used asasubstitute for the method herein disclosed. Arc segment 12 is providedwith a pair of flanges 24 and 26 at each end thereof. Flanges 24 and 26are uniformly shaped and coextensive and extend outwardly from segment12 at obtuse angles relative thereto such that they lie in spacedparallel planes. Flanges 24 and 26 are provided with a pair of generallycircular axially aligned apertures 28.

A threaded bolt 30 is inserted through flanges 24 and 26 with a helicalcoil spring biasing member 32 between head 34 of bolt 30 and flange 24.A nut 36 is threadably engaged with the end of bolt 30 remote from head34 on the side of flange 26 facing away from flange 24. It can noweasily be seen that as the bolt 30 and the nut 36 are tightened arcsegments 12 and 14 are drawn arcuately together into an ever tighteningcircle until resistence to their radially inwardly facing surfacesprevents further such movement. At that time additional tightening ofbolt 30 and nut 36 will put spring member 32 under tension betweenflange 24 and head 34 to whatever amount is desired.

Arc segments 12 and 14 are further provided as viewed in cross-sectionwith a centrally disposed complementary radially inwardly protrudinghead 38. The balance of segments 12 and 14 comprises two compressionflanges 40 and 42 respectively on opposite sides of head 38 and at angleto the radially inwardly facing side of head 38 of slightly less than180.

It can now easily be seen that as are segments 12 and 14 are drawntogether in the manner previously described head 38 will depress intothe outwardly facing surface of the pliable or deformable hose exertinga pressure seal in a radially inward direction against the pipe orflange inserted in the hose. At the same time pressure will be exertedin the deforming process longitudinally along the hose in both axialdirections. Similarly the edges of flanges 40 and 42 remote from head 38will exert the same type of pressures as head 38 creating two spacedparallel seals around the pipe or flange one on either side of andspaced and parallel to the seal formed by head 38.

The longer the hose remains in its deformed state the greater itstendency will be to assume permanently its deformed shape and thereforeto cease exerting pressure back against head 38 and the edges of flanges40 and 42'remote from head 38. Likewise deterioration of the hose fromheat and pressure will deprive the hose of some of its resiliency andthereby reduce its pressure back. Such events would normally decreasethe sealing engagement of the hose and pipe or flange but with thestructure herein described if spring 32 is under substantial tension thespring will tighten the clamp gradually as the effects above reduceoriginal clamp tension thereby insuring the maintenance of the tripleseal described. Leakage even under pressure is thereby eliminated untilthe clamp is deliberately removed or the hose ruptures due to age,pressure or other reasons.

It can now beseen that the structure herein described accomplishes allof the purposes of the invention previously set forth herein and suchstructure will be covered in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp for sealing atelescoping engagement be tween a deformablecylindrical hose and a cylindrical metal member inserted in said hoseincluding an arcuate member encircling said hose at the area oftelescoping engagement, means on said arcuate member for drawing saidarcuate member together arcuately to form at least a 360 circle and forplacing said arcuate member under tension after it is drawn arcuatelytogether, and means on said arcuate member to seal said hose and saidcylindrical member around their area of telescoping engagement includinga centrally disposed, radially inwardly facing, arcuate head and flangesextending outwardly from said head in opposite directions at an angle tothe radially inwardly facing surface of said head of less than 180creating a pair of spaced parallel sealing inducing edges on saidarcuate members in spaced parallel relationship to each other and tosaid head on opposite sides of said head.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arcuate memberincludes a pair of arcuate segments complementary in cross-sectionaldimension and coupled together adjacent one arcuate extremity to eachsegment in radially flush engagement against relative movement betweensaid segments at the area of coupling.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, wherein the means for drawingsaid arcuate member together arcuately and for placing said arcuatemember under tension are disposed on one of said arc segments.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for drawingsaid arcuate member together arcuately and for placing said arcuatemember under tension includes a pair of spaced parallel flanges, onelocated at each arcuate extremity of one of said arc segments, saidflanges being generally co-extensive and each provided with a generallycentrally disposed circular aperture, said apertures being axiallyaligned and being adapted to receive therethrough an elongated threadedbolt having a slotted head at one end, a biasing means on said boltbetween said head and one of said flanges and a nut threadably engagedwith said bolt at the end thereof remote from said head on the side ofthe remaining of said flanges facing in a direction opposite to thedirection of said bolt head.

1. A clamp for sealing a telescoping engagement between a deformablecylindrical hose and a cylindrical metal member inserted in said hoseincluding an arcuate member encircling said hose at the area oftelescoping engagement, means on said arcuate member for drawing saidarcuate member together arcuately to form at least a 360* circle and forplacing said arcuate member under tension after it is drawn arcuatelytogether, and means on said arcuate member to seal said hose and saidcylindrical member around their area of telescoping engagement includinga centrally disposed, radially inwardly facing, arcuate head and flangesextending outwardly from said head in opposite directions at an angle tothe radially inwardly facing surface of said head of less than 180*creating a pair of spaced parallel sealing inducing edges on saidarcuate members in spaced parallel relationship to each other and tosaid head on opposite sides of said head.
 2. The invention as set forthin claim 1, wherein said arcuate member includes a pair of arcuatesegments complementary in cross-sectional dimension and coupled togetheradjacent one arcuate extremity to each segment in radially flushengagement against relative movement between said segments at the areaof coupling.
 3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, wherein the meansfor drawing said arcuate member together arcuately and for placing saidarcuate member under tension are disposed on one of said arc segments.4. The invention as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for drawingsaid arcuate member together arcuately and for placing said arcuatemember under tensioN includes a pair of spaced parallel flanges, onelocated at each arcuate extremity of one of said arc segments, saidflanges being generally co-extensive and each provided with a generallycentrally disposed circular aperture, said apertures being axiallyaligned and being adapted to receive therethrough an elongated threadedbolt having a slotted head at one end, a biasing means on said boltbetween said head and one of said flanges and a nut threadably engagedwith said bolt at the end thereof remote from said head on the side ofthe remaining of said flanges facing in a direction opposite to thedirection of said bolt head.